“Parents of the children affected, and teachers at our local schools, are understandably concerned and we are working very closely with them as this is not something we want to see happening in our local community.

“There has only been a handful of these incidents, which we think have been inspired by a trend in America, but we are keen to stop them before they cause anyone else further distress.

“We are keen to identify those people who are dressing up as clowns so we can speak to them about their conduct and establish whether any criminal offence has taken place.”

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the pranks, or anyone who knows who is involved, to contact them on 101 quoting reference 1083 04/10/16.